Friday, 29 July 2016

Krivodol is very small town in Bulgaria, where I'll spent few days. I had a look around and surprisingly found some things like the town library, which many of the locals don't even know exists.

The library itself is mix between old books and things from the times of the communism and new and modern. Looks like that regulary new books are supplied here and the ambient is very pleasant and comfortable for reading and work. Also to note, the internet is very fast.

Other then that linrary I'll do a few more videos for other things from the area.

Monday, 25 July 2016

This area, just like most of the country has a lot of ruins and remains of ancient dwelings, spaning from early Neolit to modern times. These particular walls I believe were part of Roman baths and are probably younger then most of the other ruins.

I found the pieces shown in this video laying in the corn and sunflower fields around and sadly many times broken by the agricultural machines. It took me no more then half an hour to gather all that. Also its rarer but there still can be found laying on the ground early iron age spear heads and other weapons, but coins and other objects of collector's interest are nearly gone after the diligent browsing with metal detercors by all kind of dark balkan subjects in the last 30 years.

I plan in some of the next days to have a better look and who knows may be find something really interesting.

Saturday, 23 July 2016

I had to interrupt my walk along the Black Sea coast and wait for something, but while I am doing so I can make some videos about other stuff, like the freshwater fishing in a river, which I practiced today. I had some moderate luck and the target were some small species of freshwater fish, which are exeptionally tasty. I calculated that if one wants to feed himself with fishing with rod in these rivers, hast to do so for about 3 hours a day, best in early morning, when seems the fishes are feeding. Also some of these fishes are very good for a cold water aquarium, because they have nice looks and don't grow more then 10-15 cm.

Note that the freshwater fishing in Bulgaria is regulated by specific laws and first a licence for fishing has to be adquiered. This licence cost 10-15 pounds per year. Then the fishing is permitd only in certain periods of the year and only with fishing rods and line. All kind of fishing with nets, chemicals and others is illegal. Also each dpecies of fish has a minimal size allowed for catch, which by the way shows gross lack of knowledge of the fish biology and ecology and makes inmense damage to the fish populations and creates evolutionary pression for reducing the overall size of the fish species in general.

Friday, 22 July 2016

After spending the previous night in the open field I went to see Cape Kaliakra. Once again I had to follow the car's road for something like 6-7 km until I reached the cape. At first I thought that is going to be a bit dull day, but the cape itself proved to be interesting place. Once I've got close the ancient ruins of the Kaliakra Castle appeared. Inside can be seen many interesting ruins of houses, churches, fortifications, wells and so on. There is even a small free entry museum, where can be seen reconstruction of the castle and exponates from the centuries past. Another interesting thing was the small chapel at the very end of the cape. That chapel and the terace next to it can be seen on the video, where I am a bit surprised, because I passed by the small door but didn't realise its a chapel and working at that. I took a lot of pictures from the place which I'll post when I have faster internet.

After spending an hour on the cape, I decided to visit the small secluded beach called Golata, which is not shown in this video, but nonetheless was nice place with a lot of visitors with cars, because the road is not really designed for pedestrians.

After that in the afternoon I headed to the next point on my route, a village called Kavarna.

In conclusion, Cape Kaliakra is one of these places that one should see and spend some time, but it has mostly historical value and the area is not the best choice for a wild camping. One interesting point is that this was the very first point where I found water fontain from where I could get free potable water since the begining of my trip, which is a big disapointment for me, because I thought the drinking water is not going to be issue in this country, but alas, I had to buy all water I needed for drinking.

Thursday, 21 July 2016

After leaving the bivouac I walked trough the fields along the rocky shore to the next village called Kamen bryag. After that the walk continued across bushes along the cliffs to the holiday resort called Rusalka. The way to there led me to the archaeological reserve called Yailata, which is series of ancient caves, which were inhabited during the stone age approximately 5 000 BC.

While I walked in Kamen bryag, a stray dog started walking after me and when we reached Yailata, it was already very hot, so I felt sorry for it and gave it poece of meat and water. That dog tried honestly to guard me and barked against birds and lizards and also tried to break the trial in front of me, but sadly proved to be not very loyal because abandoned me after Russian couple payed it a bit of attention.

So I passed trough the Rusalka holiday complex, which I have to say was one of the most unfriendly places I've seen on the Northern part of the Bulgarian Black Sea coast and place I would not recommend to visitors.

After Rusalka I couldn't find a way trough the fields, so I had to take the asphalted road to the next village called Sveti Nikola. To be honest it was a dull and borring hour and half and then may be because it was the weekend everything in the village was closed. Then I tried again to find direct way to Kaliakra, but again I couldn't do so and I continued for another couple of hours up to the next village Balgarevo, which again looked rather unsuitable for my semi-wild camping needs and I went in direction to Cape Kalialra and pitched up my tent in some random weat field, where I spent the night.

In convlusion I have to mote that this last section between Kamen bryag and Cape Kaliakra is suitable for wild camping only if one is well prepared for a walk in thorny and covered with difficult to cross bushes, i.e. sturdy shoes and thick pants (which I didn't have) and on top of that there are no camping sites in the vicinity.

Wednesday, 20 July 2016

I departed early in the morning and kept walking on the beach nearly up to the Shabla's Lighthouse and after that I went up on the clifs until I got to the Tyulenovo village.

However to compensate that Tyulenovo village was very nice place with very friendly inhabitants. Around the vilage, before and after it there were one of the most impressive rocky shores I've seen, with a lot of smal caverns and secluded places were many foreign turists were sunbating, swimming or jumping from the rocks. When I passed the village I found place designated as "bivouac", where explicitly was written on postsign that tents can be pitched up, campfires made and there even was a chmical toilet, so despite of not walking a lot that day I decided to stop there and camp during the night.

It was pretty warm, so I didn't bother to pitch up a tent, but later on it started cooling and I decided to try my Karimor survival polytilene bag, which was a bit of disappointment, because even it breaks the wind, it keeps inside all body moisture, which makes the sleep in one of them pretty unpleasant. Also I made my self hobo stove which worked as charm and kept me warn.

Later in the evening several fishermen arrived and kept fishing until 6 o'clock in the morning of thd next day and one of them managed to catch half bucket of the exeptionaly tasty Black Sea fish called localy "Safrid". The fishermen were very friendly and asked me if I am al right, if I am cold, comfortable and so on.

All in all the experience was very pleasant and I took some pictures, which I'll post in near future, when I have faster internet and computer.

PS The tortoise shown in the video is not a Horsefields one, because I've got the English names mixed up and this species doesn't even live in Bulgaria. So, it is the Spur-thighed (or Greek), which is the largest one living in Europe (up to 8 kg), rare and treatened with extinction species.

Tuesday, 19 July 2016

First to excuse myself for the quality of the editing. I am doing this on my phone, where the preview doesn't work, so there are some faults, but this is the best I can do at the moment. A bit later I'll do better video, where these issues are going to be fixed.

I walked on the beach from the Durankulak's camping site to the Shabla's one. At first I thought to pitch up my tent just outside the camping site, but later on I changed my mind and entered the one called "Holiday Houses Mezdra". Sleeping in tent costs 2 pounds per person, for which one gets showers and toilets too. Provided basic safety rules are followed also campfires and BBQs can be made. The hosts showed me also the bungalows and in general were exceptionally friendly.They are couple in they late 40s, early 50s with a daughter, called Nona, who is an aspiring journalist and her boyfriend, very pleasant young man, who works as builder. After that the hosts invited me to share a meal with them, and it was a meal, what is seen on the picture is only the beginning, later we had sausages and meatballs on grill, Bulgarian anisette, called "Mastika", beers and so on. We stayed around the table until nearly 2 o'clock after midnight and many interesting stories were told.

From all the places I ever visited on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast I'd say that this was by far the best. Very cheap, friendly people, nice sandy beach and in general all that I like in a resort. So I'd give it 10/10 from my semi-wild camper point of view.

Monday, 18 July 2016

Now I don't have access to Internet everyday and when I do have its often way too slow to update anything, so I am posting some of the videos not in a chronological order, but rather because it managed to get uploaded. For my next trip I'll have in mind to sort somehow better, or at least more regular access to Internet, so I could post daily or nearly that updates.

PS And at the end I'll stitch up these short clips together with some photos to make something like short movie.

When I arrived in the area in search for the most northern point on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast I spent first couple of nights in one of these bungalows, which are pretty good for the price of 6 pounds per person. The price for place for pitching up a tent is about 3 pounds per night, per person and it gives you access to water, showers and toilets. Also campfires can be made provided its done in secure way. The beach is may be 50-100 meters away and is nice yellow (but not too fine) sand.

There was nothing that surprised me in a bad way and I guess I would recommend this place for people searching more secluded beaches and places around the sea coast. And about myself I liked it far better then the overcrowded and overbuilt popular resorts starting a bit further south.

This is a short video from the adjacent to the Durankulak's camping site restaurant. Its the only place to eat or buy anything in the area, the next closest one being in the village itself, a few kilometers away.

As it can be seen from the video, this restaurant is suited only few meters away from the sea and I guess in a storm these sitting inside will be showered with droplets of seawater. The staff as with the camping itself was very friendly and nice, portion of fish would be about 2 pounds and 0.5l beer 1 pound. In the evenings there is live music and can be seen people from various countries, like Germany, Romania or Czech republic.

I wanted to do this video at some border-indicating post or sign, but there was none at the Bulgarian side and apparently I was not allowed to film the one from the Romanian side, so I decided to do it somewhere in between.

Tuesday, 12 July 2016

Duran Kulak is a village 5 km from the Romanian border. What is interesting is that there are fewer visitors and the place is one of ths last calm and near wild places for camping. The sea water is pretty warm, the sea itself is calm, there are also a number of Central European visitors. All in all there and only couple of bars where the turists can eat or have a pint of beer. There is also a lake where in addition to the sea fishing one can fish in fresh water.

I've got at that place at 3 am with a friend, after spending several hours searching for calm camp site north of Burgas. Originaly I wantd to find place somewhere around Kamchia river, but we've got there sometimes after midnight and everything was closed, so we left and kept going north for another couple of hours.

Sunday, 10 July 2016

Short update about my trip to Bulgaria. Just arrived at Sofia Airport. A lot of taxi drivers queuing for clients. By the way mind the Bulgarian taxis, they've been notorious in the past for the bad treatment of their clients, but I heard that this is not as bad nowadays.

Other than that, in 22:00 its already dark night, but the temperatures are pretty high with 31C as can be seen from the board on the bus stop.

Thursday, 7 July 2016

So, I decided the first part from my walk to be between Vama Veche, Romania and Rezovo, Bulgaria, which means walking approximately 400 km along the whole Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. I bought already plane ticket from London to Sofia for this weekend and then with a bus I'll get to Vama Veche.

The issue with the wild camping in Bulgaria seems to be somewhat grey area. Big part of the land is not private property, so there is that, but still it could be somewhat illegal to pitch up tent near the coast. I'll check this more in debt and will write about it more in some of the next days. Next, there are few rivers which doesn't have bridges close to the sea, so I'll need small inflatable raft to cross them. I found one for £15, with weight 2.1 kg and I hope it should do the job of carrying me across these small rivers. Also that small raft can be used as mat, so its worth the additional weight. Fishing with fishing line should be completely legal without any licenses or permits in Black Sea, but again I'll check that to confirm.

Monday, 4 July 2016

In case anybody wonders where I disappeared the last 5 days, worry not, I've been planning my next walking adventure. This year I am not going to see anything too exotic for various reasons, but still I'll try to do my best with what I have. So the choice is narrowed to one of the Balkan countries and I am planning to walk several hundred kilometres for several weeks along sea coast and during that time I also plan to sleep exclusively under open skies if the weather permits it and if it doesn't, in my simple tarp bivvy. Also I'll try to avoid buying food, so I'll have to see how I'll sort that issue. Probably best bet is to go fishing from time to time and also carry some food with myself in case I feel too lazy for hunting and gathering.